Partnering Together to Keep Our Children Safe On the first Anniversary of the tragic Parkland Shooting of February 14, 2018, Chief Ray McCullagh and the Clarkstown Police Department hosted a School Safety Symposium at the Police Department. All the school districts that are located within the Town of Clarkstown were in attendance. The meeting was extremely informative and many ideas and practices were discussed and exchanged.

At the meeting, the police department covered a number of topics and reviewed some of the things they are doing to keep our children safe in school. Chief McCullagh and his team have conducted and are continually conducting security audits of all schools. These audits have driven security upgrades and enhancements across the districts. Chief McCullagh confirmed his commitment to continue to host these joint meetings on a regular basis.

The partnership between the Town, the Police Department and the four school districts is as strong as it has ever been and is frankly a model for how to collaboratively work to keep our community safe. Thank you to all the school districts who participated, for your leadership and for keeping the safety of the students and staff of your schools a top priority. Thanks to the men and women of the Clarkstown Police Department for truly being the best.

In addition to all that the school districts and law enforcement can do to protect the schools physically, we all have a big role to play in being aware of the signs that children and students may be sending us.

We need to listen and look for the signs of distress that out adolescents may be sending to us and their peers. But the foundation of enhancing and ensuring school safety is deterrence. We are very fortunate to have such a dedicated and experienced police department working with our local schools to keep our children safe.

A lawsuit has been filed in Rockland County Supreme Court by one of the challengers seeking to unseat the Airmont Village Mayor and two current trustees. Nathan Bubel, a candidate for mayor of Airmont in next month’s elections claims that current Mayor Phil Gigante and Trustees Paul Marchesani and Anthony Valvo’s designating petitions are replete with errors and violations of New York State Election Law to the point where they ask a Supreme Court judge to invalidate the petitions. If successful, Mayor Gigante and the two trustees would be unable to seek reelection and their names would not be on the March 19, 2019 ballot.

Bubel’s lawsuit is joined by Brian Downey, a candidate running with Bubel for the position of trustee. It is believed that Bubel has the support of some of the Village’s religious community. Recently, Airmont has been the subject of several high-profile lawsuits filed by members of the religious community claiming that Gigante and his administration have passed laws and engaged in a pattern of actions in the Village, which discriminate against Jewish residents and violate federal laws. In the last three months, two separate lawsuits have been filed claiming religious discrimination.

Former Mayor Ralph Bracco is also running for Mayor. Bracco’s petitions were not challenged. Ralph Bracco is running on a platform to unite the Village and create harmony with Airmont. According to Bracco, “Airmont should never have any lawsuits in the future, and the Village should be accessible and available to all of its residents.” Bracco is running based upon what he perceives as a vast divide created by Gigante and his team while in office.

The lawsuit has been assigned to Hon. Sherri L. Eisenpress who will have to rule on the allegations in Bubel’s lawsuit. Whatever decision Judge Eisenpress makes will have a great effect on the outcome of Airmont’s election.

In 2018 there were a total of 38 drug-related deaths in Rockland County, down from 40 each in 2017 and 2016. This is unacceptable. I recently signed a resolution approving an agreement with Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings, PLLC to take legal action against the manufacturers of prescription opiates that contributed to the opioid epidemic.

We are now moving forward, taking action against the pharmaceutical companies that made and sold prescription opioids that contributed to this epidemic of abuse. We expect these companies to pay for the damage, death and destruction their outrageous marketing strategies have brought to our communities.

The response to this epidemic has inherent costs that so far have been unfairly borne by our taxpayers. Costs to local law enforcement and first responders, for counseling and assistance to our residents facing this crisis in their families, and the treatment costs for those who are addicted.

This action will bring accountability to these companies and justice for the many victims of this crisis. That is why we are using the legal system to bring this deadly epidemic back to the corporations that started it, the pharmaceutical companies. It is time that they take responsibility for their actions.

Rockland has taken a comprehensive approach in dealing with the opioid epidemic, and this legal action is just the latest step. The Department of Mental Health has partnered with local law enforcement to host multiple Drug Take Back Days and Narcan Trainings.

We in county government are doing everything we can think of to combat this crisis. Heroin and other drugs are stealing too many of our residents, particularly our young people.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the total “economic burden” of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion annually.

Not a cent of the cost for this legal action will come from the pockets of Rockland taxpayers. Costs will be paid from any settlement reached on the County’s behalf, if there is one. If not, Rockland does not have to pay.

We look forward to working with Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings, PLLC as the next step in addressing the factors that contributed to the opioid epidemic. We will not allow those who caused this epidemic to escape justice. Those who have seen it’s destruction deserve more.

Our environment must be protected for future generations, and currently our federal government is rolling back policies that protect us against climate change and global warming. First, the President pulled the U.S. out of the 2015 Paris agreement on climate change mitigation. Further, cuts are being made left and right to funding for the Environmental Protection Agency, which is tasked with protecting human and environmental health. This is why it is imperative; we pass legislation to keep our environment clean and healthy for every New Yorker.

Many communities in New York have been grappling with toxic pollution and contamination of their air and water. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 4.2 million deaths every as the result of exposure to outdoor air pollution, and 91 percent of the world’s population lives in places where the air quality exceeds WHO’s guideline limits. We’ve seen more recently, the city of Newburgh face a drinking water crisis, after the toxic chemical PFOS was found in it’s primary reservoir, Lake Washington.

Further, we see no signs of climate change stopping. We know natural disasters like hurricanes, flooding and droughts are happening more often and are exasperated by climate change. According to the World Resources Institute, the number of people impacted by flooding each year could triple from 21 million to 54 million by 2030. And a record level of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases have been found in the atmosphere and continue to rise, according to the U.N.’s World Meteorological Organization’s 2017 report.

More than ever, New Yorkers must have the right to clean air and water, and a healthful environment. These are simple rights, conspicuously left out of our State’s Constitution. This is why I sponsor legislation (S.2072), which would amend our constitution and better protect our residents. This Constitutional Amendment will encourage sound green decision-making and help prevent actions that could harm our air, water, and environment. It would also support citizen suits to enforce current state and federal laws aimed at protecting our environment.

Several states, including Pennsylvania, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Montana have constitutional protections in place to ensure access to clean air and water, and New York should follow suit. We cannot continue to take our environment for granted. It is time to reduce our carbon footprint and invest in clean renewable energy so New York paves the way toward a clean and healthy environment for all its residents.

Despite a lot of handwringing from globalists, President Trump’s tariffs are working. One year after the first tariffs were imposed, US manufacturing employment is up by261,000jobs. The US is outperforming all other major economies. And new investments have been announced in key sectors covered by the tariffs, includingsteelmakingandsolar panels.

There’s a clear justification for the tariffs. Countries like China have spent the past two decades flouting the rules of global trade in an effort to erode America’s economic, military, and geopolitical strength. And Beijing’s use of massive subsidies, dumping, and cyber hacking has cost the United Statesmillionsof manufacturing jobs and more than60,000factories.

Finally, the United States is rethinking its support for unrestricted free trade. But it’s also time to rethink a “strong dollar” policy that has contributed to 40 years of US trade deficits—all because it makes America’s goods, services, and labor too expensive in global markets.

How overvalued is this strong dollar? In 2017, former World Bank economist John Hansenestimatedthe dollar was 25 percent overvalued. And in the second half of 2018, Federal Reserve data showed the dollarjumpingan additional 7.15 percent.

That keeps driving up America’s trade deficits. Despite President Trump’s aggressive trade intervention, the 2018 US trade deficit with China is still projected to climb11 percentabove 2017’s record$375 billion. And the International Monetary Fund (IMF) iswarningthat America’s trade deficits will get even worse.

The Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) recentlystudiedthe effects of the dollar’s overvaluation on the US economy. According to CPA’s research, if the dollar’s exchange value was gradually lowered by 27 percent over a six-year period, the United States could create as many as 6.7 million new jobs, including 1.4 million in manufacturing alone. And the US economy would grow by an extra 4.8 percent, meaning our economy would be nearly $1 trillion larger than currently projected by 2024.

Manufacturing exports would grow by 12 percent per year. And the availability of good full-time jobs for non-college educated workers would surge.

The Trump administration should pay particular attention. If the dollar keeps rising, it could simply negate much of the gains the president is now achieving from his tariff strategy.

The IMF certainlyseesit that way. In a report last year, it said that America’s “persistent excess imbalances may become unsustainable, putting the global economy at risk and aggravating trade tensions.”

While Wall Street champions an overvalued dollar, Main Street suffers weaker exports, fewer jobs, and lower incomes. There’s a clear precedent for action, though. In 1985, the Reagan administration negotiated the Plaza Accord with Japan, West Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. The agreement lowered the dollar’s exchange value, causing America’s annual tradedeficitsto disappear within a few years.

At present, the United States keeps absorbing other countries’ overproduction, and at acostof hundreds of billions of dollars annually. This is unsustainable, and it’s time to get the nation’s economic house in order. Adjusting the dollar is an essential remedy that would create millions of new jobs along with almost a trillion dollars in added economic growth. Washington needs to take action before the dollar causes America to lose its position as a global economic leader.

I am a North Rocklander, a lawyer and a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army JAG Corps. I ran for District Attorney in 2003. I’ve decided to run again, because no other candidate is addressing the most significant problem facing the County today, namely the insularity and exponential growth of the Hasidic community.

I find it reprehensible—indeed, criminal—that many children in the Hasidic community do not receive the basic education needed to become good, contributing American citizens. Every child born in the United States should have an education well-grounded in American and World history, in science and mathematics, and in the principles of Democracy that America’s Founding Fathers’ envisioned.

As to the Hasidic community, many people are perplexed when they look at New Square, Kaser, Monsey, and people become scared when they read about lawsuits against Airmont and Pomona. Many Rockland residents are saying that that they will move out of the County as the Hasidic community expands. Wrong answer! The correct answer is to compel what the N.Y.S. Education Law requires—a sound secular education for all Hasidic children, grounded in American values of pluralism, patriotism, cooperation, civic responsibility, and being educated about the important public issues of the day. Sound education of children, not avoidance and flight by adults, is the key to Rockland’s future and its prosperity.

As District Attorney, I will fight to protect Hasidic children from being intellectual prisoners of the Hasidic leadership. Hasidic yeshivas certainly should teach the Torah, but they must also teach: History, Literature, Biology, Sex Education, Civics, Race Relations, Ethnic and Religious Diversity and the Bill of Rights. American democracy needs individuals to vote in an informed, educated manner. “Block voting” is not individual voting, it is group leader control. No candidate for District Attorney should seek the Hasidic block vote. I will walk through New Square and Kaser asking for those residents’ votes as individuals.

Children who are denied a basic education are confined in an intellectual cage. Like a physical cage, this is abuse. It is the criminal offense of endangering the welfare of the child. I will prosecute such crime, in the Ramapo Justice Courts, before a mostly or entirely Jewish jury. And I will win, ask the court to slap a fine on the yeshiva’s administrators, and then seek to close the deficient school. My goal is to protect the children. They have the right to be educated. Government must protect them!

If a Hasidic man or woman seeks a better education for their children, perhaps in the public schools, and are shunned and ostracized by the Hasidic leadership for this, I will prosecute that too, as it may amount to the crime of criminal harassment or criminal coercion. Racketeering under the guise of religion must stop. Religious “orthodoxy” does not license illegality.

I will wield the sword of the prosecutor to protect Hasidic women and children against a Hasidic leadership that seeks authoritarian control over its members. I will protect individuals, and fight organizational abuse. The Hasidic leadership is an abusive organization when it comes to keeping its members inadequately educated and isolated from the larger American society. The Hasidic leadership’s views are totalitarian and tribal. Tribalism is destructive to democracy. I’ve learned this as a civil rights lawyer, from traveling around the world, and from being in combat zones.

Let me be clear: there is much that is good and admirable in the Hasidic community. We can learn much from them. They are a peaceful, non-violent community devoted to God. I will protect Hasidics and their families, and prosecute anti-Semitism and hate crimes. I seek only to fight what is destructive to Hasidic children and American society. A grossly insufficient secular education is destructive, because it irreparably injures the children and threatens democracy.

As District Attorney, I will seek justice, and act with fairness. I will fight corruption and protect people. These are the same things I ran for in 2003. The only difference now is that I have 16 more years of experience, with tours of active military duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, where I was awarded a Bronze Star Medal. Since 2003, I have also twice influenced the U.S. Supreme Court in the public interest, and fought many civil rights battles in the federal courts.

In sum, I am the only candidate addressing the most important criminal justice issue facing Rockland County—the criminally deficient non-education of Hasidic children in this County, and panoply of problems that result. I have the trial and appellate experience needed for the job of District Attorney, and a military background that demonstrates my commitment to our Constitution and our democracy. I request your support.

A commercial business park may seem to be an unlikely place to find man’s best friend coming to work—but seven bomb-detecting dogs (accompanied by their handlers) greeted company owners and media to a new training facility on Ramland Road.

The dogs, canine bomb detectors, train under MSA, headquartered in New York City; the company’s work takes it to 42 states and 30 different countries. Since the Big Apple is always on high alert, MSA Chairman Michael O’Neil looked north to Rockland to build another facility so handlers would be closer than the MSA facility in Connecticut.

Chosen as puppies to become part of their handler’s family, the dogs are trained to sniff out the ingredients essential to would-be bombers. The ingredients used at the training facility are inert and pose no danger to the facility or the public, but training centers are needed to continually keep the dogs on high alert to the odor of the five different substances that go into the lethal (and illegal) construction of bombs.

O’Neil and his staff chose Orangeburg, just 15 miles from the border of NYC. “This is a great location for us,” he said. “And the need for a closer training facility to the city was imperative.” MSA is certified by the ATF (Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms—and Explosives, a division of the Justice Department). It has over 600 teams of handlers and a staff of 1,300.

The handlers who brought the dogs to their new training site were happy to have a place “closer to home” than Connecticut, even though some hail from Staten Island and New Jersey. “This facility is fantastic,” said handler Michael Segreto, accompanied by his Labrador Retriever, Pio. Pio lives with Segreto, his wife and daughters, and the bond between handler and dog is key to their success and attention to duty.

The floor of the training facility had several empty cans (with one or two containing materials the dogs are trained to sniff out) as well as pallets of boxes and other containers used to conceal the deadly ingredients for the dogs to root out. Pio is trained to sniff out the contents of trucks.

“We are constantly reinforcing the dogs’ senses—and this is the kind of facility we bring them to so they will remain sharp and alert,” said Segreto. After a training session, the entire facility is disinfected to remove any unwanted trace of odors, so the next batch to come for training comes into a contaminate-free facility.

“Because the materials are separated and non-combustible, they’re no danger to the public,” said O’Neil. “We have spent a lot of money to keep this place secure and clean so the dogs can concentrate on their job. There are no homes nearby and no reason for anyone to worry, since all the materials are inert and aren’t going to blow up—we want to make sure these dogs aren’t distracted by any kind of odor other than what they are trained to look for: bomb-making equipment.”

Segreto says he and Pio share a wonderful bond. “He is wonderful with my family, gentle and easy to get along with. But when he is at work, Pio does his job and is not aggressive, but handlers want the dog by their side or working at all times. They’re trained to work and not lose focus on the job, so we encourage people not to distract them from duty.”

“We’re happy MSA chose Orangeburg,” said Police Chief Nulty. “So much goes into protecting the public, and these dogs and their devoted handlers are invaluable. It’s wonderful our town was chosen to host the training facility.”

Nanuet, NY – After tasting his first slider at the age of five, Peter Bevilacqua turned his love of White Castle into a tradition. For 57 years, he celebrated his birthday at a Castle in New York, where he developed a family-like relationship with the restaurant’s team members. Bevilacqua recently passed away but his never-ending love of sliders and deep roots at the Nanuet White Castle have landed him in the Cravers Hall of Fame.

Bevilacqua was formally inducted into the Cravers Hall of Fame on Feb. 19 at a special White Castle ceremony in the restaurant chain’s hometown of Columbus, OH. As one of 12 “Cravers” from across the country to be included in the 2018 class, he was recognized for a lifetime of traditions at White Castle and for always providing a friendly face to team members.

“I am writing this letter for my friend, Peter Bevilacqua,” his friend Thomas Lombardi wrote in his submission to honor Peter. “He began eating White Castle on his birthday when he was five years old with his father. Peter moved a few times in New York, but no matter where he went, he kept the tradition of visiting White Castle on his birthday going.”

Bevilacqua had an unrelenting love for White Castle and visited the Castle in Nanuet four to five times a week before his passing. He was represented by Lombardi at the induction ceremony to accept the honor.

“White Castle has a bold following of Cravers around the world and it’s amazing to hear the funny, creative and heartwarming stories that illustrate how our sliders have impacted their lives,” said Jamie Richardson, vice president at White Castle. “The Cravers Hall of Fame is our way of showing our gratitude for the loyal and dedicated fans who have made our brand what it is today. It celebrates their memorable moments and the amazing ways that White Castle has become a part of their stories.”

White Castle launched the Cravers Hall of Fame in 2001 to celebrate and honor its most loyal fans. The judges evaluate submissions based on brand loyalty, creative presentation, originality and magnitude of the Crave. Nearly 250 White Castle fans have received this distinguished award since 2001. In 2002, White Castle added the “Craver in Extremis” category to recognize public figures, celebrities and pop icons; including Alice Cooper, Kal Penn and John Cho, Telfar Clemens, Anthony “Spice” Adams and the late Stan Lee, who have all publicly shown their love of White Castle.

A mother of five was killed when a man plowed his car into her family outside the 7-11 on Central Highway in Garnerville.

The perpetrator’s name is reported by WABC News to be Jason Mendez, a 35-year-old Washingtonville, NY resident with roots in Rockland County and Texas.

Seven others were injured and hospitalized, including a 35-year-old male and three juveniles who were taken to Westchester Medical Center, Haverstraw PD told the media at a 7 p.m. press conference. Their injuries are considered serious but not life threatening.

Police said Mendez will face second degree murder and seven counts of attempted murder. The confirmed identity of the perpetrator and possible further charges will be revealed at a 10 p.m. arraignment.

A background check on Mendez shows he had faced accusations of violence in the past. In 2012 he was arrested in Texas for assaulting a public officer and in 2014 he was charged with domestic violence, charges that were dropped when his wife refused to testify.

A close relative of the victims told the Rockland County Times that the perpetrator was a complete stranger to his family.

A store employee told WABC-7 Eyewitness News that the dispute started when the father of the family asked the alleged assailant to put out his cigarette. Witnesses said the assailant became enraged and plowed his car not once, but twice into the family, driving the vehicle into the window of the 7-11.

WABC reported that the vehicle was a white Infiniti with Texas plates. The identities of the victims and alleged perpetrator had not been revealed as of 7 p.m. Wednesday. People from the north Rockland community and surrounding region expressed revulsion at the cold-blooded act.

UPDATE – Haverstraw police released the following statement at 8:30 p.m. “On today’s date at approximately 1:50 p.m., a male subject intentionally drove his vehicle into a family that was standing in front of the 7-11 store located on N. Central Highway in Garnerville. The male suspect had a verbal altercation with a member of the family moments earlier. The suspect then proceeded to enter his vehicle, which was parked in the 7-11 parking lot, and drove the vehicle forward striking eight family members. The suspect then reversed the vehicle and drove forward again, striking the family members for a second time.

“The eight family members consisted of a 35 year old male as well as a 32 year old female and 6 juvenile children. The eight members of the family were all transported to a local hospital. Tragically, the 32 year old female victim succumbed to her injuries at the hospital. The 35 year old male victim was transported along with three of the juvenile children to a Westchester Medical Facility for serious but non life threatening injuries. The remaining children were being treated at the local hospital for their injuries.

“The suspect, age 35, was confronted at the scene by responding police officers. The suspect was brandishing a knife and failed to comply with the responding officers verbal commands to drop the knife. The suspect was subsequently tased, subdued, and taken into custody without further incident. The police department’s investigation has led to the charge of murder in the second degree (1 count) and attempted murder in the second degree (7 counts) being filed against the suspect.

“The investigation is still ongoing and it is anticipated that several additional charges will be filed. The names of all involved parties are being withheld at this time due to the ongoing investigation. The Town of Haverstraw Police Department would like to thank the responding police agencies that assisted in this tragic incident and investigation including the Stony Point Police Department, Rockland County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police.

“Additionally, the Town of Haverstraw Police Department would like to thank the Haverstraw Ambulance Corps, Rockland Mobile Care, and the various other EMS agencies and personnel who responded to assist in the care for the victims of this tragic incident.”

]]>https://www.rocklandtimes.com/2019/02/20/unthinkable-act-claims-life-of-mother-of-five-outside-garnerville-7-11/feed/055198Soccer results from various parts of the worldhttps://www.rocklandtimes.com/2019/02/20/soccer-results-from-various-parts-of-the-world/
https://www.rocklandtimes.com/2019/02/20/soccer-results-from-various-parts-of-the-world/#respondWed, 20 Feb 2019 16:18:13 +0000https://www.rocklandtimes.com/?p=55189It has now become much easier to follow soccer results. You just need to push a couple of buttons to open the site of sports statistics and find exactly what is of most interest to you.

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FIFA soccer on sports statistics site

It seems that the 2018 FIFA World Cup has just ended, but in some parts of the world the qualification for the new World Cup has already started. It has now become much easier to keep abreast of important news about it. Now, FIFA soccer offers various matches from the different parts of the world.

It is clear that this year all the teams continue to fight for getting there, but the first matches can already help to identify the favorites. Together with the site of sports statistics, you can personally verify this and always be one step ahead of other fans.

The information here is updated in a convenient format that allows you to regularly discover a lot of new and interesting things. Tens of thousands of users from all over the world have already managed to make sure that it is very easy. Each match will have an increasing tournament importance, and together with us you will not miss anything important.

Despite the fact that FIFA’s soccer games finished not long ago, the teams are already preparing for the future tournament. You can learn more about it as well as follow other important news on the website of sports statistics. Visit it at any time of the day to see this for yourself. It has never been so convenient to follow the development of football events.